Using Nature As Your Muse: A Mandala Journey with Bees and Blossoms
There’s something magical about sitting down with a blank canvas and allowing nature to whisper the first lines of inspiration. The curl of a leaf, the symmetry of a flower, the gentle hum of a bee—it’s all a kind of poetry waiting to become your next painting if you just listen, look, and feel it.
So often with the new interest in society around saving the bees, I find myself mesmerized by blooming flowers on my journey. It isn’t just the flowers catching my attention in these episodes, but the little ecosystem surrounding them—the bees dancing around the petals, the soft golden pollen they are gathering, and the sacred geometry hidden within it all.
These single moments bloom in my being and recently in my mind and into a mandala painting.
At the center, I painted a flower from memory: soft, geometric, and light. Around it, a ring of bees—playful, sacred, busy. And then came the honeycomb, each hexagon like a tiny prayer of structure and sweetness. It felt like I wasn’t painting something separate from myself, but rather expressing a connection that already existed between my heart and the natural world.
Over the years I have been adding honey to my coffee and tea pretty much every day. So I have a new found appreciation for bees and the hard work they do.
On some level I am using this sweetener to support am allergies from my local bee friends. I try to support local honey makers and those trying to ethically support bees. Through this journey I feel a little more connected to the bee and all the work they do, and the natural beauty of how magnificent the bigger natural ecosystem is and my part in it.
Nature has always been my muse, but this piece reminded me just how deeply intertwined our creativity can be with the Earth.
Why Nature Is the Perfect Muse for Artists
Nature is the original artist. It’s full of patterns, rhythm, colors, chaos, and beauty. From the swirling galaxies to the veins in a leaf, it’s overflowing with shapes, textures, and colors we instinctively respond to. When we tune into nature, we’re not only sourcing aesthetic inspiration—we’re connecting to something timeless and healing.
In my mindfulness journey I cannot tell you how moving leaves dancing in the wind is for me. This is especially true in spring as trees and plants start to come back to vibrancy and showing off their beauty.
If you’re looking for nature inspired painting ideas, you don’t have to look further than the world right outside your door. I am a big fan of nature and also a huge fan of music.
As I was pulling this article together Rick Ruben came to mind as he has a book he wrote called creativity that I think sometimes blows up what we think it means to be an artist and I also found this quote that aligned with my thoughts here…
When one thinks of art an nature we often think of one of the most famous artists in this space – Georgia O’Keeffe. Here’s a great quote by her…
O’Keeffe’s giant flowers invited viewers to slow down, to see deeply, to notice the often-overlooked details of petals and stems. Her devotion to natural forms shows us how even the simplest things can hold profound meaning. Being so passionate about mindful living this speaks volumes to me.
This is a new perspective of her work allowing me to see things through a different mindful lens as my previous lens was only seeing the art itself, but not how she had to truly slow down and stop and look closely to experience the beauty of this flowers before she could replicate what she saw and experienced in those precious moments.
Ways to Use Nature as Inspiration for Your Next Painting
Whether you’re working on your next mandala or just want to loosen up with intuitive shapes, here are a few playful and mindful ways to let nature guide you:
1. Go on a nature walk with a sketchbook.
Pick one small thing that captures your attention—a leaf, a pinecone, a shell. Sketch it, trace it, or let it inspire the shapes of your next painting. I often take photos of things I notice as I always have my phone in my pocket but carrying a sketchbook and physically drawing in those moments makes it an even more visceral experience.
2. Explore sacred patterns in nature.
The spiral of a snail shell, the symmetry of a snowflake, the branching of trees—all of these are nature’s mandalas. Try recreating one of these patterns in your art. I have been on a mandala and sacred geometry kick and thrilled when I find these things out in nature where they have always been, long before we as humans began to notice.
3. Use natural color palettes.
Pick a scene from nature—a sunset, a forest, a coral reef—and extract five colors from it to use in your piece. Nature never mismatches. Color theory from nature is an amazing thing.
4. Paint with natural elements.
Ever tried using leaves as stamps? Or painting with natural brushes made of grass or flowers or sticks? These tactile techniques can add a whole new level of connection to your art. On Earth Day and the following week I tried exploring this a bit more to be even closer to nature.
5. Let your painting reflect the season.
Nature shifts constantly. Try using seasonal themes—spring blossoms, summer sunlight, autumn leaves, winter frost—as a structure for your mandalas or general paintings.
What about sun light? The masters often used different times of the day to capture different feelings and emotions.
What about the weather? This isn’t one often thought about, but check out this interesting video exploring art capturing weather.
Here’s another interesting video exploring ecosystems and habitats in art.
Nature as Mirror
Painting with nature as a muse isn’t just about outer beauty—it’s about inner connection. Just as a flower opens in layers, so do we. Just as the bees seek nectar, we too search for sweetness in life. Our art becomes a mirror of this sacred relationship.
So next time you pick up your brush, consider stepping outside first. Listen to the wind. Notice the patterns. Feel your feet on the earth. And let nature’s quiet wisdom guide your hands.
Are you an artist that loves nature and/or seeking to be more mindful on your journey?
I recently create a Facebook Group and an email newsletter for a small community of artist called the Mindful Paint Club. Our goal is to build a thriving community, offer support to one another, and continued inspiration. If you are an artist or looking to try art, and on Facebook please feel free join this new community.
